Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

Four years. That’s how long it’s taken me to appreciate the taste of salmon again. For years prior, salmon adorned our fall and winter table at least 3 times a week in all forms: caviar, quiches, frittatas, curries, grilled foil packets, grilled whole, grilled half, on bagels, in sandwiches, and as a snack. It was the good salmon, too. The oily, fragrant, bright-red, extra-salmony salmon from the Copper River, which we caught ourselves. Their oily, fragrant, extra-salmoniness is what turned the salmon-craving part of my brain off after a couple years of eating it so often. I was worried it was out of commission for good.

Much to my delight, I started craving it again recently. In all these phases, hot smoked salmon has been my favorite. A short aside, I don’t care for lox (cold smoked) because of the texture. It tastes like fishy paste to me, which often gets lost when paired with other ingredients. The dreadful texture never gets lost to my gag reflex. I’ve tried to like it. Hell, I’ve pretended to like it, but call me blasphemous. I don’t like it.

Hot-smoked salmon, however, is my jam. It’s meaty and substantial and doesn’t get lost paired with other ingredients. It stands out.

It’s part of my food philosophy that meat stand out because when meat stands out as one flavor component of a complex dish, we tend to use and consume less of it. By consuming less meat, I can afford happy meat. By affording happy meat, I’m supporting my local agrarian economy. By buying local, I’m not supporting factory farms or fish farms.

Back to hot-smoked salmon: you can find it in most grocery stores or specialty seafood shops if you’re lucky enough to live close to an ocean. If you have a smoker or kettle grill, consider smoking some yourself!

I had some hanging around in my fridge and bowls of eggs that needed to be used, so I decided to pair the two. By making smoked salmon deviled eggs. The creamy, yolky center is whipped with chopped capers, a little crème fraiche, some finely chopped onion, and a little mayonnaise. Each filled egg is then topped with salmon, a quick-pickled red onion, and chives. These are a perfect addition to your brunch menu.